Celestia had been pacing the balcony to her room fretfully for the last hour or two, trying to digest everything she had just learned. She’d had to teleport out of there to avoid being sick all over Yin’s hospital room floor, and almost hadn't made it in time. Her stomach still roiled, and her tongue still had the bitter tang of bile lingering on it. Just a reminder of the thought that her beloved had been psychologically and sexually abused, and had tried to kill herself because of it...the taste was morbidly appropriate. And to top it all off, the rotten cherry on the whole rancid sundae, was Yin’s inevitable…death. Oh Faust, her kitten was dying. Here she had just gotten her back only to lose her all over again. Permanently. Forced to watch her slowly suffer...

Catching movement down below, she spotted Lady Hazuki walking the gardens below her. Desperate for someone to talk to, and certainly owing her friend a sincere apology, she leapt off her balcony and glided down to meet her. Landing softly, she clip-clopped over to her friend, ashamed of her earlier actions.

“Hazuki...san?” she queried softly as she approached her friend cautiously. The kirin did not turn to acknowledge her, but she did not retreat from her either. Placing a tentative hoof on the Priestess’ shoulder, she tried again. “Hazu--” Her friend flinched under the touch, sitting stiffly until she seemed to just deflate.

“What do you want, Celestia?” she asked as Celestia winced at the coldness in her voice, dropping her hoof from the pale green fur as if it burned.

“I came…to apologize. She told me everything. About the drug, and…what the Empress did, and how she tried to k-kill herself,” she stammered, her voice thick with grief. “Oh Hazuki, I’m so sorry. What have I done?” she whispered hoarsely, her head hung in disgrace.

“What’s done is done, Celestia,” Hazuki gave a tired sigh, her back still facing the Sun Goddess. “Honestly, she was thinking about quitting anyway.”

“She told me as much,” Celestia confessed. “And that’s another thing that bothered me. She was just going to give up and go off somewhere to die, and she wasn’t even going to tell me,” she protested, distressed. “What did she think I would do if she told me, just dismiss her as…damaged…oh, pony feathers!” Celestia suddenly cursed to Hazuki’s baffled surprise. “I just left her there! Horse apples, I’ve probably given her the wrong impression… apologies Hazuki but I must take my leave!” she blurted as she took to the air once more, this time for the medical wing. When she arrived there, she found a balcony near a patients’ rec room and snuck in. Quickly finding the right floor, she headed for room two-fifteen. Hesitating under the weight of her mistake, she braced herself and knocked.

“Yinfâng?” she probed, hoping for a response. “Yin, may I enter?” she requested, the silence making her nervous. ‘Perhaps she is sleeping,’ she realized, opening the door quietly. She had expected The room to be dark, but she had not anticipated the emptiness, or the neatly made bed with no sleeping chimera tucked safely inside. For just a moment, she felt her heartbeat stop as she feared the worst. Had Yin’s condition worsened when she left? What if she had… d-died? What if it was her fault?! Quelling her panic with a simple breathing technique, she trotted briskly through the labyrinthine halls to the reception desk.

“Hello,” she greeted the startled mare staffing the reception desk. “I am looking for a patient. Perhaps you can help me?” she smiled, her public façade masking her anxiety. “The patient's name is Yinfâng.” After the mare stammered a greeting and bowed, she looked through her binder to find Yin’s name, oblivious to the nervous twitching of her Princess' wings.

“Ah, here it is. She’s been moved to room three-ten your Highness.” Celestia politely thanked her and headed toward the new room at a brisk trot. Her heart beating anxiously, Celestia’s worst fears were assuaged; Yin was still alive, but she was still worried. What if her condition had worsened after all? Reaching the room, Celestia knocked once before entering the room. Startled, Yin looked up from the magazine she had been reading to meet Celestia’s apprehensive expression with her baffled one.

“Oh, um, hello your Highness,” she met the sun diarch with a timid smile, the title making Celestia flinch. “They said I’m recovering well and should be out of here soo-omph!” Huffing, she glanced bemusedly at Celestia who had grabbed her in a desperate hug and buried her nose in Yin’s silvery locks.

“You are not ‘damaged goods’,” Celestia hissed tearfully in her ear. “Don’t ever refer to yourself as such again, do you hear me?” she commanded. “It does not matter to me what you look like, or what you’ve been through, or what you’ve attempted,” she declared, pulling back enough to surprise the chimera again with a gentle peck. “You are a strong, beautiful soul who has endured terrible cruelties, and has struggled to remain true to yourself. That is the soul I fell in love with, never forget that,” she reassured her love with a tender smile, hopeful as it was mirrored on the chimera's face. That is, until she realized the smile did not reach all the way to her pale green eyes.

“You don't know what that means to me, truly. I...want to be with you, so badly Tia, practically since I met you. But I have all these… misgivings,” she hesitantly explained. “The biggest of which is, I am dying. Unless you have a miracle cure hidden in your horn, then it is best we just put all this behind us and remain good friends for what little time I have left.” The poorly masked pain in the chimera’s eyes broke Celestia’s heart.

“I am…aware of your limited time,” the mare confessed, burying her muzzle briefly in Yin’s mane to hide the pain in her eyes. “However, I still want to be with you.” Celestia murmured as she gave Yin a comforting nuzzle, wether to reassure herself or her beloved she wasn't sure. “Even if you were to die tomorrow, I would want all the time with you I could have. As a lover, not just a friend,” she smiled, willing the chimera to respond to the love flowing from her heart. "Please, can we just...try?" Seconds dragged in the silence, Yin's face a mask of indecision. Finally, she let out a sigh.
"I-I don't know Tia, I--" She gave a derisive snort. "How can you just accept this--me? Like this. I'm a freak, I'm broken, and I'm dying--"

"I don't care," Celestia interrupted, pulling back to give the girl a fierce gaze and a supportive hoof on her forearm. "Beings change, no one is perfect, we all have out flaws. But I can see past the scars, Yin, and the mare I see is worth everything. You are worth something, Yin. I wish you could see that." Yin shook her head again, but her resolve seemed to weaken as she set a tentative claw over one white hoof.

"Alright, Tia. I-I suppose I...can try." Celestia let out a bark of joy as she hugged the former leopard. "Just, can we take it slow?" She plead, nervousness still apparent on her face.

“We can take it as slow as you like, Yin. Besides, I don’t intend to let you die on me so soon. I’m sure we can find a spell that can cure you, we just have to look for it.” Celestia affirmed resolutely before leaning down to grace silvery locks with a gentle kiss. “Now, about that title you addressed me with earlier…” she frowned playfully, making Yin gulp in dismay.

"Aw, but Tia, I only called you that because...well, after the way you left..." she hedged, hoping to get out of whatever embarrassing 'punishment' the princess had in mind.

“And because of that, I will postpone your punishment for now. I really am sorry I left the way I did,” she apologized, her violet eyes downcast with shame. “I had a lot to think about and was overwhelmed by what you told me…but I shouldn’t have just left you there. Forgive me?” she asked shyly, to which Yin giggled, and did the one thing Celestia had been longing after for days. She leaned up and initiated a kiss of her own, tenderly caressing her cheek with a claw. That was all the answer Celestia needed, as she happily returned the kiss.

__ . . . . . . : * : . . . . . . __

It was two days later when Celestia approached Yin, who was out on the balcony having tea.

“Hello, love.” She greeted the chimera with a playful peck on the cheek, to which Yin blushed and glanced around nervously.

“Tia! What if someone saw you?” she hissed with a blush on her face.

“Oh, so what if they did? There are no rules saying I can’t have a foreign inter-species Consort. And if the nobility complains, I’ll just threaten them with new taxes,” Celestia joked, before her face turned serious. “I have a proposal for you, and though you may not like it, please hear me out. I do not have much time in the day to look into a spell to cure you, despite all I have regulated to Luna for the time being. I know you don’t trust outsiders with examining you, but I need assistance. Will you let me bring Twilight and Dawn here? They are both extremely bright, and Twilight is the best researcher we have. Between the two of them, we should come up with something very quickly. What do you think?” she asked with nervous hope in her voice. Yin’s face was a veritable mask of neutrality as she considered.

“Would I have to tell them… everything?” she whispered sadly, her voice begging a negative.

“No, I don’t believe that would be necessary,” Celestia denied in a relieved huff. “If they ask just tell them that it is sensitive information that is not important, they’ll take it at face value. Well, for the most part. Dawn can be a little…” Celestia rolled her eyes briefly while Yin nodded understandingly.

“I had a question about them, actually. If I may?” Yin asked cautiously as Celestia stiffened slightly before nodding her consent. “Their chi is exactly the same. That never happens, not even with identical twins. You also never mentioned Dawn’s birth.” When Celestia sighed dejectedly, Yin hurriedly tried to retract her words. “Of course, if you’d rather not--”

“No Yin, it’s fine,” Celestia reassured with a slight smile. “It’s just… a long story, and rife with a personal failure of mine that is hard for me to talk about. However, you most of all have a right to know.” Celestia sighed once more, before launching into the tale of Balance, and all that came to pass through those dark times. By the end of the tale, it was very early evening, and Yin had migrated around the table to drape a foreleg over Celestia’s withers in comfort.

“I see,” Yin murmured contemplatively. “Hard lessons to learn, but you and your daughters and the Elements seem to have persevered.” Yin smiled as she hugged Celestia tightly. “I am proud of you, for facing all you have done. You are certainly dealing with it better than I did with my own… issue. This changes nothing, Tia.” She assured the Sun Princess, who had waited with bated breath for condemnation or disapproval of some sort. When she got a hug instead, and support, she let a few tears leak out before wrapping the chimera in her own feathered embrace.

"Thank you, Yin. I still have nightmares sometimes," the mare confessed, Yin nodding with understanding.

"I've been there. I won't say they will get better, but they will get more manageable over time." The two sat there for a moment, before breaking apart as Yin coughed lightly. Waving a claw to reassure Celestia it was not serious, the princess managed to control her panic until the coughing subsided. “I’m alright, just lingering side-effects,” she smiled, slightly strained. “The withdrawal effects haven’t quite hit me yet. I am fine with you bringing Twilight and Dawn here, and I will cooperate as much as I can.” Overjoyed, Celestia swooped in and gave her the deepest kiss she had yet, practically pinning her to the floor of the balcony. Once they broke apart, panting, Yin caught a glimpse out the glass doors and face-palmed. “Now you’ve done it…” she moaned, as Celestia turned to see the small crowd of gawping ponies staring at them.

“…oops,” she giggled, to which Yin just groaned. “Quick, run away!” Celestia laughed, nudging Yin to get off the floor. Looking around, she tried to find an escape point when she noticed Yin standing precariously on the rim of the balcony. Dashing forward in alarm, she tried to grab Yin before she fell. This balcony faced one of the steeper parts of the mountain! Before she reached her, though, Yin pushed off; laughing as she seemed to lightly swim through the air. Turning, she grinned impishly at Celestia’s stunned expression.

“Part Lóngrén, remember?” she snickered, flicking the Princess’ nose lightly with the tip of her tail as Celestia pinned her with a good-humored glare before following Yin’s example and taking wing.

The next morning saw Twilight and Dawn walking into Canterlot Castle, debating betwixt themselves as to why they were summoned here. When they reached the Throne Room, Celestia looked up from the myriad of paperwork she was busy signing. Smiling, she gave the rest to her assistant, Paper File, to save for later.

“Hi mom!” Her daughters said together, running up to hug her happily. Meeting them halfway, Celestia returned their hugs enthusiastically.

“Hello Dawn, Twilight.” She greeted them warmly. “I have called you here today on a very important project of mine.” She explained as she led them down the hallway outside the Throne Room. “I hope you both are able to commute for the next month?” she nodded grimly at their assent, her seriousness reflecting in their expressions. “Good. This way please,” she intoned as she guided them to the balcony that had become a favorite meeting spot for her and Yin. When they reached it, they could catch faint strains of music drifting in from a door cracked open to the balcony. Oblivious to their presence, Yin lost herself in her music while they all sat to listen. Twilight and Dawn had open-mouthed astonishment written all over their faces, while Celestia merely smiled proudly at her beloved. She really had improved a great deal. “I bet you never knew she could play a piano, let alone so beautifully,” she grinned at them, as they finally picked their jaws off the floor. “When she was assigned to me during the peace talks between Qiling and Equestria Eighty-five years ago, she confided in me her love of music. I gifted her with her first piano, and encouraged her practice since. She has improved so much,” she smiled contentedly as the melody drifted around them.

“I don’t recognize the piece she is playing,” Twilight noted, looking at her mother curiously.

‘I am not surprised, Twilight. She composed that piece herself,” she confided smugly, while Dawn and Twilight gawped anew.

“Damn, she’s good,” Dawn purred, eyes lidding suggestively. “I wonder if--” Celestia cut her off with a reproachful glare.

“Language, Dawn. And do please keep your hooves to yourself, she is already taken.” Celestia smirked, causing Dawn’s eyes to widen in shocked realization.

“No. Bucking. Way. How did you manage to tap that?!” she spluttered incredulously, while Twilight glanced between them in puzzlement. “Ugh, I don’t even want to think of you…wait. That’s actually kind of hot, in a completely objective sort of way,” Dawn mused, staring at Yin when the proverbial light bulb clicked in Twilight’s head.

“Wait, you mean…Dawn, I think you might be jumping to conclusions here--” Twilight argued before Princess Celestia cut her off.

“Actually, Dawn is mostly right, Twilight,” Celestia grinned as a fierce blush slowly spread across Twilight’s face. “And you, I know what you’re thinking. Stop it,” she admonished lightly at the mischievous grin spreading across Dawn’s. “Our relationship is still in its fledgling stages, as it were. Also, she is part of the project you will be working on. Come join us, we will discuss this on the balcony.” As the lot approached the piano, its occupant at that moment reached the crescendo of the piece she was playing and the all had to stop for a moment as the music washed over them in a harmonious wave of sheer beauty. The two sisters sat, stunned, while Celestia visibly shivered. Once the final notes died away, the unicorn and earth pony approached the chimera gleefully.

“How did you learn to play like that?” Twilight exclaimed, amazed.

“Where did you learn to compose like that?” Dawn asked, equally amazed. Grinning at their enthusiasm, Yin led them over to a small table that had four cushions circled around it.

“My answer to both of you is this: lots and lots of practice,” she smiled ruefully. “Literally, it took me decades. Now, I believe we are all here to discuss something, yes?” she questioned, as Assam brought out tea for them all as well as an extra pot. Eyeing Yin disapprovingly, she bowed once at Celestia and took her leave with a huff.

“What’s her problem?” Dawn grumbled glaring in the direction the snooty unicorn had left.

“It’s Tia’s fault. She scandalized the poor sycophant yesterday, and the mare blames me.” Yin interjected, pointedly avoiding Celestia’s good-humored glare as she hid behind her teacup.

“So, about this project…” Twilight prompted as Dawn sniggered at her mother’s expense. All playful ire gone, Celestia straightened her posture to fix her daughters with a somber expression.

“I called you both here for a very important research project,” she began, her tone causing the two ponies to straighten their own posture. “I recently found out that… well, Yin is very sick,” she explained quietly as two shocked pairs of eyes turned toward the chimera in question. “I need you to help find a cure.” Celestia finished as she gauged the reaction of her daughters.

“Why the hay didn’t you tell us?” Dawn bristled while Twilight pinned her with a worried stare. Yin glanced at her with one eyebrow raised.

“I’d just met you. What was I supposed to say? ‘Hi, my name is Yinfâng and sorry if I cough blood on you, I’m a little under the weather’?” Yin snarked back, rolling her eyes.

“How bad is it really?” Twilight prodded, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “I get the feeling you’re sugar coating whatever it is, and I wanna know.” At this statement, Celestia seemed to crumple in on herself, much to her daughters’ alarm. “Mom? Mom, what’s wrong?” Twilight yelped, moving a hoof to support her while Dawn pinned Yin with a glare.

“Well that didn’t take long,” Yin muttered under her breath. “Well there’s no easy way to say this, so…I’m dying. I’ve got roughly a month left.” Yin stated matter-of-factly, while she once again found herself being stared at in horror.

“Since when?!” Dawn seethed in disbelief. “You were fine at the party! What changed?”

“I agree,” Twilight nodded. “This happened far too quickly. Were you exposed to something, had a change in diet?” she asked, to which Yin let out a startled bark of laughter.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” she grinned humorlessly. “You see, I am sick because I’ve been slowly poisoning myself for the last eighty years or so. I just recently stopped. And before you ask, no, I was not immediately aware I was taking poison. However, by the time I had realized, I was already addicted. Stopping would have killed me faster than continuing.”

“Then why did you stop now?” Dawn challenged, to which Celestia flinched.

“An accident, but that’s not important right now,” Yin quickly interceded before Celestia could say anything. “What is important is finding a cure. We will have to rely on magic, since there is no natural remedy for this particular drug. I have compiled a file here with everything you need to know about it, as well as a lab analysis taken from the last of it, there is no more. We cannot grow any out here, either, as it is indigenous to Qiling; it will wither in foreign soil. Any questions?” she asked, as the both quickly looked over the small scrolls she had given both of them.

“Yeah, why the buck were you taking it?” Dawn antagonized, fixing the chimera with a glare. At the question, Yin felt pain flicker across her face as she drew in a deep cleansing breath.

“Because the Empress of Qiling forced me to take it after she transmuted and enslaved me with a magical collar,” she explained tonelessly. To which Dawn winced and muttered an apology while Twilight fixed her with an angry glare and bumped her with a lavender wing.

“Don’t worry about it Dawn, it is a reasonable question.” She smiled reassuringly at the earth pony before Twilight piped up.

“I have one as well. Why were you smoking it, when the file says you were taking it orally up until about five years ago?” She questioned, tapping a page while Celestia perked up interestedly.

“Very astute of you, Twilight,” Yin nodded approvingly. “There are other effects it has when fresh that lose all potency when the flower is cured. I think it is due to a magical property of the bloom, but there I have no concrete evidence to back that claim. By smoking it, I removed those effects and weakened the dose I was taking. However, this resulted in me having to smoke it several times a day as opposed to taking it orally one a day. Hence all the additional smoke damage to my lungs,” Yin explained evenly, though the last came out bitterly. “I am so out of shape it isn’t even funny. Can’t even puff a little mist, it’s pathetic.” She mumbled under her breath, though audibly enough for those around the table to hear her. Nuzzling her comfortingly, Celestia moved to get up from the table, with Dawn and Twilight following her example.

“Well, can I leave this in your capable hooves?” She asked her daughters, who nodded determinedly before heading toward the door. Just before they left though, Twilight turned to look at Yin.

“Um, everyone says hi, by the way. They were wondering if you would have time to visit tomorrow maybe, but with things the way they are…” she trailed off, her expression melancholy.

“That’s sweet of them to think of me,” Yin smiled in genuine happiness. “Besides the fact you will most likely need some blood samples, I would love to visit everyone, if that is permissible?” she questioned, glancing at Celestia. When she nodded happily, Yin turned to Twilight with a grin. “When you have gathered all you need, I will accompany you back to Ponyville. It is not so far away I can’t fly back after a day or two.” As the two sisters left eagerly to gather the books they needed, Celestia turned to give her love a deep kiss of gratitude.

“I will miss you while you are gone, and a part of me does not want to let you out of my sight. Nevertheless, another part of me loves seeing you bond with my daughters and their friends. They are all good mares. Please, please be careful while you are away. Promise?” she whispered, slight desperation in her eyes.
“I promise, Tia,” Yin whispered back resolutely, before sealing the deal with a sizzling kiss. As Celestia walked sedately in the balcony doors with a loopy grin on her face, she caught sight of Dawn grinning lewdly in her direction and waggling her eyebrows. Pinning her with a glare, she shooed her daughter after Twilight down the hall. The smile never left her face.

__ . . . . . . : * : . . . . . . __

As the train pulled into the quaint town of Ponyville, Twilight, Dawn and Yin found themselves enthusiastically welcomed by the other Elements of Harmony, accompanied by a strange looking wagon.

“It’s tradition,” Pinkie Pie explained cheerfully as she flipped a lever. Five minutes later saw Yin reeling with her ears ringing and covered in confetti. At least she got a cake out of it, even if it wasn't her favorite pastry. The group took her on tours of their places, starting with Sugarcube Corner and ending with Sweet Apple Acres for dinner.

“So yer called a kai-mera?” a young red-haired filly asked Yin after everyone had eaten, eyes wide in wonder. Two other fillies were introduced to her as well.

“That’s so cool!” a young orange pegasus filly exclaimed as she zipped excitedly around Yin. “Can we get a Cutie mark for being a chimera?” she asked hopefully. "That would be the awesomest Cutie mark ever!"

“Sorry little one,” Yin chuckled ruffling the filly’s mane. “I’m afraid this took no special skill on my part, except for maybe surviving,” Grinning at the three disappointed faces looking up at her, she suddenly scooped them up in her forelegs and tossed them in the air; the three fillies shrieking with delight as she caught them. “Don’t worry, I have a feeling you three are really close to finding your Cutie marks,” she reassured them as the all grinned at her happily.

“How did you get your Cutie mark, miss Yin?” the one called Sweetie Bell asked, examining her flank.

“Yeah, and what does it mean?” Scootaloo wondered as Applebloom nodded. Yin soon found herself surrounded by the rest of her new friends.

“We’ve been wondering about that ourselves, sugarecube,” Applejack stated with a smile. “Ah understand leopards don’t have Cutie marks normally, right?” she questioned.

“Indeed Applejack, that seems to be an equine thing, mostly. I guess I qualified for one when I was changed. Growing up in a dragon family that was heavy with martial tradition, I picked up open-clawed combat surprisingly quickly. I had been one of the best claw-to-claw fighters in father’s dojo, which is why I was selected to be assigned to the High Empress. Now, I was trained in primarily in Lóngquán Wǔshú, dragon martial arts. However, there are levels of achievement in karate-- Qiling martial arts-- which is displayed in the dojo by colored belts tying our ‘gi’s shut. When a karate-ka had reached the highest level that can be taught, they are given a black belt.”

“That’s what yer Cutie mark is, right?” Applebloom interrupted excitedly, pointing her hoof at the black loop on Yin’s haunches. “It’s a tied black belt!”

“Correct! It first appeared sometime after my change, when I achieved the level of First Dan.” She stated proudly, leaning down to show the awed fillies the stone loops pierced in her ear.

“Awesome!” Scootaloo yelled. “What does Dan mean? Does it mean you can beat up a hundred bad guys?” she rambled while Sweetie Belle and Applebloom stared in open-mouthed wonder at the small hoops. Jewelry, especially the permanent kind, was seldom worn in Ponyville.

“It means I have achieved a rudimentary mastery of the Dragon Fist, and am qualified to take a disciple. I suppose you could say it means I can beat up a hundred typical soldiers of average skill, or at least five average Dragon warriors.”

“Cooool,” the three fillies oohed, before Applejack chased them off to go play and leave miss Yin to talk with the grown-ups.

‘Oh darling, those earrings are simply marvelous!” Rarity gushed, leaning in close to get a better look. “I cannot fathom how I missed them before. The first is a ruby for sure, the third a citrine, but I can’t quite…aha! The second is a cachemirine garnet, isn’t it?” she deduced. “I just love garnets, they come in so many colors, and they’re so clear!”

“Wow, you sure know you’re gems, don’t you?” Yin smiled, impressed.

“Of course dear, that’s my special talent,” she explained, showing off her Cutie mark.

“So you got some pretty sweet moves, huh?” Rainbow asked, nudging her with a grin. “You’ve gotta show me your stuff some time. Maybe we can work out together!” she invited, eliciting a sad smile from Yin.

“I’d love to. Perhaps sometime next month, maybe,” Yin offered, as Twilight and Dawn shared a knowing glance between them. “I’m a little out of sorts at the moment to do anything to strenuous.” Sensing they should leave before any awkward questions popped up, Twilight jumped in.

“Well Yin and I need to get going; she needs to get settled in at the library. Oh! She hasn’t even met Spike yet! We may be busy tomorrow, She, Dawn and I all have a very important project to work on, don’t we?” she emphasized with an emphatic look at Dawn. Unnoticed by the trio in question, Applejack narrowed her eyes. Something was up; her Element-senses were tingling.

“Aw, can’t it wait for just one day?” Pinkie whined, a pleading expression on her face.

“Yeah, I wanted to show Yin my moves!” Rainbow complained.

“Sorry girls, but this one is very time-sensitive,” Twilight justified, a hint of sadness in her voice.

“Thank you very much for the meal Applejack, it was delicious,” Yin bowed her head in thanks. “I will be sure to say goodbye before I leave.” As the alicorn mare and former leopardess departed, Applejack watched them leave. Something just wasn't sitting right with her, and she was going to find out what.

_ . . . :*: . . . _

“Spike! We’re home!” Twilight yelled as she entered the library. Yin looked around in wonder; she’d never been in a building that was a living tree before.

“Welcome home Twilight!” A young male voice greeted them happily. Yin turned her head to see a purple drakling with green spikes running down the stairs to meet them.

“There you are. Spike, I’d like you to meet Yinfâng. Yin, this is Spike, my number-one assistant,” Twilight introduced as they sized each other up.

“Spike, it is a pleasure to meet you. Please pardon the intrusion upon your home,” Yin greeted formally, bowing slightly.

“Aw, it’s no problem! So you’re the chimera Twilight told me about, huh?” Spike smiled, holding out his claw. Shaking it, Yin nodded.

“Ancient legend says that your kind and Qilinese dragons are all descended from the same dragon god, so I suppose in a very loose sense I could be a second-cousin of yours,” Yin grinned, drawing a delighted smile from the dragon.

“Neat! Can you breathe fire?” he asked, anticipation in his eyes.

“Actually, Lóngrén are air dragons. I breathe clouds,” Yin explained receiving a gasp from both dragon and pony.

“Really?!” Twilight exclaimed excitedly. “I didn’t know they could do that, I just thought they could ride the air currents and walk on clouds like pegasi. Fascinating! What else--” Before Twilight could get into a good ramble, Spike interrupted her.

“Um, I think it’s time for bed. You cold or something Yin? You’re shivering a little,” Spike asked pointing at Yin’s lightly quivering forelegs.

“Oh I’m alright Spike, just had a long day. I’m afraid Qilinese dragons don’t eat gems, but I bet we both like pancakes! Can you show me how to make them tomorrow morning?” Yin asked, to which Spike nodded enthusiastically. Once he headed up the stairs for bed, Twilight approached her.

“Yin are you really okay?” she asked worriedly as she placed a hoof on her new friend’s shoulder.

“It’s a small side-effect of withdrawal. It comes and goes for now, but I imagine it will get worse in the next week or so.” Yin told her quietly. Twilight nodded understandingly.

“One thing you didn’t write down was symptoms of withdrawal. If you’re going to stay here, I’d like to know what to look out for in a worst-case scenario,” Twilight asked gently, to which Yin nodded.

“Trembling and shortness of breath for starters, both of which I have already. Fortunately, flying takes very little effort on my part if I just coast on a current. Next will be painful cramps, the shakes, and hot and cold flashes. My whole body will begin to ache badly on top of all that. When the fluctuating heart-rate and breathing kicks in and I start to fade in and out of consciousness…well, we’ll know my time is nigh,” she finished quietly, her eyes downcast. Twilight just hugged her, her embrace warm and comforting.

“Then we better get cracking,” Twilight said firmly, to which Yin just smiled and nodded.

__ . . . . : * : . . . . __

The following morning was a flurry of activity once Dawn came to join them for breakfast. Yin was surprised to find such a well- equipped lab in the library’s basement, but put it down to Twilight being Princess Celestia’s daughter. Sure paid to be royalty. That day was a flurry of tests as Twilight and Dawn acquainted themselves with Yin’s altered genomes and did a basic health exam. Lunch found Yin tired and slightly dizzy from all the blood samples they took for testing. After a restorative meal prepared by Spike--who explained neither of the other two could cook even if they remembered they had to eat-- Yin was relegated to paper pusher while Dawn asked her questions about her theories on how her physiology worked. Contrary to how most assumed chimeras worked, they were not like Manticores where one could easily pick out all the different pieces. They were fused together on a molecular level, all the way down to their DNA. If you were to look at said DNA, it would not have bases recognized as belonging to this, that, or the other; it would be one whole new creature with some similarities. Thus, it was hard to say what would be effective, and what wouldn’t. When they were done for the day after much cajoling from Yin, she and Dawn retired to the guest room for the night. A quick coin toss saw Yin on the floor, though she preferred it anyway.

“Hey Yin?” Dawn called softly, in case the chimera was asleep. At a questioning hum, Dawn bit her lip before continuing. “Well, I noticed something from the analysis today, and I don’t think Twilight’s caught it yet but…um, the drug has what looks like a stimulant in it. One that has a very specific effect…” Dawn eluded hesitantly, as Yin’s figure tensed under the sheets. Dawn may be a little nympho-maniacal, but she knew how to be sensitive about…that when the situation called for it. Yin sighed resignedly.
“I’d appreciate it if you kept this between us. And Twilight, if she figures it out. It’s not something I like talking about, or feel comfortable with others knowing.” she muttered dejectedly. Dawn just murmured understandingly before flipping on her side. Gaze hardening, Dawn considered what this really meant for Yin when she said she’s been poisoned and enslaved. She didn’t like it one bit.

Author's Note

What the heck, I've got a huge back-log, I'll post when I feel like it. Also, for those of you reading, I'd appreciate feedback, even if it's just an emote, so I know I'm not just throwing this out in the void.
Also, should have my cover art up within the week! Yay! Slow going between making that, and writing this thing, and some other stories I'm working on.

On a completely unrelated note, any webcomic fans out there should go check out Daughter of the Lilies, it's super awesome!